


Nagito Komeada is Something of an Enigma

by Ickk



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: M/M, No Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:55:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26240740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ickk/pseuds/Ickk
Summary: Nagito Komaeda is a strange character. he has a habit of almost opening up only to immediately pull back.this is something like a revision of my first NagitoxHajime fic.
Relationships: Hinata Hajime & Komaeda Nagito, Hinata Hajime/Komaeda Nagito
Kudos: 10





	1. Beach

**Author's Note:**

> chapter 1 is based heavily of the start of the game. it does become less based on the game plot as time goes on. There shouldn't be any real story spoilers.

Waves crashing. Hajimes fingers met with a gritty texture. Sand... where was he..? Someone was.. speaking..  
“Hay… Can you hear me…?” Opening his eyes was a struggle, and struck with a blinding light he winced. After a second his vision cleared, the first thing his eyes managed to focus on was the boy leaning over him. He was young, despite white hair. The same hair that stuck out like he didn't know what a comb was. Yet those piercing grey eyes held soft concern. Hajime suddenly wasn't so worried about where he was.  
"Are you ok?" The figure spoke with concerned chords as well. “...You seem pretty out of it.” There was a pause, as nobody spoke. Again it was the white haired boy who broke the silence.  
“Honestly, I feel.. actually everyone feels that way too… Since we suddenly... got put in this weird situation..” he rambled almost like he was talking to himself. Those grey eyes that wandered off suddenly fell back on Hajime.  
“..Hay, are you listening?”  
The situation? What situation..? slowly it came back to him. Hope's Peak, the collapsing classroom, the classroom door.. his classmates, and the insane class trip. It was almost too much. But that was reality, or at least it was now his reality.  
Forcing himself onto his feet Hajime stood, glancing around at where he was. Azure waves licked at the white shoreline with foamy tongues leaving residue on the sand. The boy who'd been leaning over him quickly took a few steps back, realized that was too far away to comfortably talk to Hajime, and took an awkward step forward. That dark green jacket he wore was really an odd choice for such tropical weather.  
“Hay, are you sure you're ok?” The concern in the boys voice had turned nervousness, and his expression reflected that in slightly furrowed brows.  
Hajime hesitated “...Leave me alone” this was too weird. Everything was weird. He didn't even know what was going on. He just wanted to process everything.  
“There's no way I can leave someone alone when they look that pale..” Bold words coming from someone who looked to have undiagnosed albinism. Yet that nervous tone was persistent. Hajime rubbed his face, letting his hands drag across his flesh as he looked back at the world. Gorgeous sky with perfect white clouds. Blue waves lapping at the shore in a tropical symphony. Light soft sand reaching palm trees and flowers that bloomed all year round. Why?  
“That rabbit thing said we're… on a tropical island” he finally turned back to his lone companion who'd been giving him the same nervous look this whole time. Like he expected Hajime to suddenly collapse. Again.  
“...yeah. you're right” That.. wasn't an answer. Hajime paused, unsure what else to say. Luckily the boy continued talking, though not before an awkward pause.  
“Um ...I understand your confusion after everything that's happened… But Why don't we start with an introduction?”  
“Introduction..?” somehow the situation made even common things seem out of place.  
“I'm Nagito Komaeda. Nice to meet you.!” The boy, Komaeda, suddenly smiled warmly at him  
it was odd, how casually introduced himself. And while he didn't necessarily agree with how relaxed his approach to this situation was, something about that beaming face was reassuring. “Ah, along with my introduction I guess I'll tell you about my talent, so you know why Hope's Peak  
Academy chose me… even though it's a pretty disappointing talent..” Komaeda grew increasingly dejected as he went on, his smile fading just as quickly as it had come.  
“A disappointing talent..? What do you mean?” How could something like that be disappointing? Komaeda sure was… confusing.  
“I'm lucky”  
“..what are you talking about?”  
Really confusing.  
“It's not a joke or anything” Komaedas smile returned, a bitter shell of that previous beam. “That's my actual talent.. I'm the ultimate lucky student.” Grey eyes darted away “...At least that's what they call me anyway..”  
“Ultimate lucky student?” That… didn't sound like a real talent.  
Komaeda quickly explained “Through a country wide lottery, one ordinary highschool student is selected randomly to attend Hope's Peak Academy as the Ultimate Lucky Student. That lucky winner just so happened to be me.”  
Hajime paused, unsure how to reply to that. It wasn't necessarily a disappointing talent, but it was strange. Then again, that sort of matched what little he knew about Komaeda.  
“Your face looks… troubled” Pulled out of his thoughts by that voice again.  
“Oh, no.. I'm not troubled or anything.” It was more that any response he could come up with seemed… needlessly rude.  
“No, it's fine. I have mixed feelings about this, too. I never thought an average talentless high school student like me would ever enter Hope's Peak Academy…” Komaedas pitiful smile clung to his face as he stared down at his shoes, feebly kicking at the sand. “I… actually declined at first… told them I didn't deserve it. But they told me they really wanted me to attend… Apparently this so called luck of mine is something the school doesn't understand… So they pick an Ultimate Lucky Student every year..” Komaeda let out a soft chuckle, gaze flicking back up to meet Hajime. “Well.. I guess that luck got a guy like me into Hope's Peak.. so I'm grateful… On the other hand.. I feel a little out of place here..” Komaeda suddenly straightened up, snapping to attention with a nervous smile. The motion was so quick Hajime jumped a little, but at least Komaeda didn't look quite as sad anymore. “Ah, sorry. I have a bad habit of looking at things through a pessimistic lens.” He also seemed to have a problem with maintaining eye contact. It was really a shame those grey eyes were so commonly pointed at the ground. “Um, yeah.. I guess that's it for my introduction.”  
Hajime let out a soft sigh. Nagito Komaeda… He didn't seem real reliable, or even trustworthy for that matter, but he seemed to have his heart in the right place.  
“Now then, it's your turn”  
“Yeah… I'm Hajime Hinata..” he began hesitantly. After hearing Komaeda ramble like that he wasn't sure what to say. Fortunately Komaeda seemed to pick up on this, asking with a tone of thoughtful curiosity  
“Then, let me ask you a question: what is your ultimate talent?”  
“Oh, I…” Hajime started confidently.  
“I…” his ultimate talent was… he was...  
“I…” he desperately scraped at the inside of his empty mind and found... nothing…  
“H..uh..” His chest tightened as the crushing realization that he didn't know set in. And then he was trembling, little involuntary spasms that ran up and down his body. How could he not know?  
“Hajime.. what happened??” Komaeda immediately took a step forward, reaching out to grab Hajime only to stop short. He seemed unsure if he should touch Hajime and awkwardly pulled his hand back.  
Hajime swallowed hard. Ultimately, it was just another thing to add to the list of weird… right?  
“I-it's nothing..!” He forced an awkward smile, though it didn't stop Komaeda from looking worried. “I guess… I'm still pretty confused about all this… I'm having trouble remembering some things…” He took a deep breath as Komaeda spoke. Telling himself it'd be ok.  
“...I guess that makes sense.. your memory being confused after suddenly getting into a situation like this” To Hajimes relief, he smiled again. “I'm sure you'll remember soon once you've settled down.. So I don't think you need to worry about it all that much.”  
“You're... right…” He couldn't help but smile a little too. It was weak, tired, but genuine.  
“Then, I guess we're done with our introductions for now.” Komaeda said before adding, on a more cheerful note “Even though I don't know what's going on.. I hope we can get along.!”  
Hajime couldn't help but awkwardly agree “Right. Me too…”  
Then, without anything else to talk about, the two of them stood in silence. Hajime looked around at the island again, nervous. The only other option was to look back at Komaeda, who was staring right at him. Looking back into that piercing gaze would be like staring into a void…  
“You don't know anything about the other students yet, right? I think it's best if you at least introduce yourself to them.”  
Hajime looked up, both grateful for a break in the silence and hesitant about socializing, especially as he was still trying to absorb everything that just happened. He nervously rubbed at the back of his neck.  
“Th-That's true… but… where did everyone go?”  
“Maybe they're exploring the island as well?” Komaeda suggested, glancing around the empty beach, almost as if he hadn't realized everyone else had gone off. It made Hajime wonder how long he was out for. How long Komaeda had waited for him to wake up…  
“Exploring the island..?”  
“As long as we're expected to live on this island, we should try to learn as much as we can about it. For example, what's this island's name? Is there a way to escape? What about food and living arrangements?” Komaeda spoke thoughtfully. He'd clearly given it more thought than Hajime had. Then again it was hard to think about this kind of thing when you were unconscious. Komaeda continued “Why don't we finish introducing ourselves to the others and explore the island at the same time? I pretty much went around and introduced myself to everyone already, but I'll tag along with you.”  
So Komaeda was just invited himself along… Hajime felt like he should get a say but ultimately, he was grateful. Having Komaeda around would be helpful and meeting everyone alone was a little intimidating… Plus Komaeda was smiling at him again so he really couldn't protest.  
“Shall we get going then?”  
Hajime didn't respond immediately. He couldn't. The absurdity of the situation had suddenly hit him again, like a crashing wave. Was it really ok to be so relaxed right now? A few minutes with Komaeda and he'd already let his guard down. Well, mostly down anyway.  
“What is it, Hajime? Let's get going.”  
“R-right… Got it.” Hajime stammered quickly, mostly because Komaedas eyes had sparked with concern again. Komaeda nodded and grabbed Hajimes wrist rather suddenly. “  
I'll help out, so don't worry too much about your introductions” His smile returned as he spoke. He started walking away from the ocean and off the beach.  
“O-okay..”Hajime, wrist still in Komaedas vice grip, was more or less dragged after him. 

The rest of the day came and went in a blur, Hajime found himself in his cottage. Somehow, by the end of the situation had only gotten worse. He glanced around the room, as if it would yield some solution to the problem. Yet the wooden floors, the cold tile walls, the canopy bed, the numerous plants, the drawn curtains on the windows, they all proved bitter and unhelpful.  
He suddenly threw himself onto that bed, wanting to drown in it. He buried his head into his arms. How was he supposed to trust anyone anymore. He couldn't even trust himself, or remember who he was.  
The silence that followed was crushing. Yet even more crushing was the ever present sound of waves, crashing into the shore, refusing to let him forget where he was. He felt like crying, ended up screaming, trying to expel the anguish. To drown out the sound of the waves. Somehow he managed to fall asleep in that place he hated so much.


	2. filler

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nagito and Hajime have some bonding time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure how much this really contributes to the plot but I don't feel like cutting it out

Hajime awoke to the sound of the morning announcement. Though he couldn't immediately find the energy or will to get up and so he quietly stared at the ceiling for awhile, listening to the crashing waves.  
However he did eventually get up. Hunger driving him to the restaurant for breakfast, and though he originally had no intention of eating with the others, the company proved reassuring. By the time he left he was in a much better mood. Stepping outside, back into the courtyard he paused. Now that he had the motivation to do more than lie in bed he realized that he had to find something to do…  
After a minute of just staring around at the pool, the stone path around it. The old building off to the side.. the flowers around the restaurant. Trying to escape, at least right now, seemed fruitless so.. for now he may as well try to make friends. Friends with who exactly? He didn't know yet.  
Hajime ended up walking out onto the main path, warm tropical morning and the palm trees that stood between the path and the beach where oddly relaxing. He suddenly wished to be in any other situation. One where he could enjoy the breeze off the ocean and the bright sunshine that still clung to the coolness from the previous night, not yet beginning to boil. One where he wasn't so likely to die. The situation again came crashing upon him with a sudden and clear intensity, and while he was trying to swallow the fear that came with it he spotted the familiar green coat and flyaway hair that signified Komaeda. He was staring at the ocean all alone.  
Without thinking Hajime sent himself down the pale dunes, stumbling over his feet in the soft sand as he made an all too hasty path to him. Komaeda might not be trustworthy or a talented conversationalist but he was infinitely better than being alone with his thoughts.  
“Nagito..!” He spoke a little too loudly, making Komaeda jump, but by the time he'd spun around to face Hajime he was smiling.  
“Hey!” Komaeda’s tone was cheerful, the way his whole expression brightened just seeing Hajime, made him smile a little too.  
“Hey…” He realized a little too late that impulsively running up to someone didn't mean he was prepared to have a conversation with them and he awkwardly fumbled with his words for a second. Actually it was Komaeda who spoke first, interrupting him before he could say something stupid.  
“Hajime.. are you feeling alright..?” He tilted his head a little, brow softly furrowing with concern. Hajime quickly shook his head, trying to reassure him.  
“No.! Not at all..! I actually feel a lot better..” he could at least say that with honesty.  
“Oh.. I guess you kinda always look worried then huh… then again it'd be weird worry in this situation..” Somehow Komaeda said this with a tone just as carefree as ever.  
“Yeah… I guess…” Hajime couldn't help but sigh softly “...actually.. I was wondering if you wanted to hang out.?” He didn't think Komaeda would say no, but somehow asking still made him nervous. Maybe because being rejected by Komaeda would be… irreparably crushing. To his relief, Komaeda simply grinned wider  
“All right! What do you want to do?” He asked, tone full of poorly masked excitement.  
At that Hajime paused “ah well…” How underprepared could he be? “..we should try to find a way off this Island…”  
“Alright! Let’s get going then!” Komaeda’s cheerful reply immediately eased the tension that still hung around Hajime. He found himself smiling back before even realizing what he was doing.  
“Right.! Alright!” Hajime replied a little too quickly. Although, instead of actually starting, the two of them stood there just grinning at each other for a moment. Luckily they did eventually manage to get started with an “Alright.. Let’s go” and too many alrights. The two of them did begin seriously, slowly searching the island. However around the time they had lunch Komaeda made an awkward joke, and it was downhill from there.  
Eventually the two of them again found themselves on the beach. Sitting side by side as those waves caressed the glittering shoreline. Hajime stared out across the ocean, which was dyed orange by the sun melting into it. Sunset light painted the world in soft tones and somehow, even though they hadn't found anything even remotely suggesting escape, he felt better. The best he'd felt sense arriving in this tropical deathtrap.  
Somehow Hajime's gaze had slipped. Komaeda's soft expression and laid back posture. The way his hair tinted a pale orange and his eyes shone.. He'd somehow missed the faint green in them before… And then suddenly those aforementioned eyes were staring right back into Hajime's. Making that worried face again, Komeada leaned forward a little.  
"Hey, Hajime… is something wrong?" Hajime found himself glancing away, hugging his knees a little tighter. Still, he smiled at the glistening sand.  
"No… I was just thinking… I've felt a lot better just being with you. Thank you." Hajime glanced back up at Komaeda, finding surprise in his expression, though It melted away into a sheepish smile as he sat back again.  
"Oh.. Is that all..?" Komaeda's turn to break eye contact. Gaze falling to the sand almost... shyly? He let out a soft chuckle "I'm honoured..! To think someone like me is actually of use to you!" as he spoke a wide smile crept across his face, but it grew almost too wide. Actually his whole expression had gotten a little creepy. Hajime gently elbowed him.  
"Hey don't talk like that..! Maybe you're just.. Lucky?" He couldn't stop himself from grinning as he said it, even though he knew how dumb it was. Still it was enough for Komaeda to quit making that face. He shook his head faintly with another laugh. But this one was more lighthearted.  
“Lucky I met you I guess…” Komaeda’s thoughtless response caught Hajime off guard. He felt his cheeks go hot as he tried to format a response. In the end he couldn’t come up with anything, leaving the two of them in an awkward silence. Komaeda’s face had been dusted pink as well. Maybe a reaction to Hajime or the lull in the conversation. “..Really though, I should be the one thanking you.. You must be really kind to spend your time with someone like me..!”  
Hajime glanced up, meeting those grey green eyes. Komeda’s words where flattering, but they left a dull ache in his chest.  
“Don’t talk about yourself like that.. I spend time with you because we’re… friends” Hajime smiled at Komaeda, only to see he was making another odd face. One that he couldn’t quite read. Thankfully it was short lived as Komeda nodded, that familiar happy smile returned. His tone was an odd dull cheer.  
“Friends huh..? I’ve never really had one before..”  
Those words made Hajime’s chest ache too, and when he spoke it was almost without thinking.  
“Oh, well, if that’s the case... How about we meet up tomorrow then too?”  
“I’d like that..!” Komaeda replied excitedly.  
“Alright, it’s a deal then”

The two of them sat there awhile longer speaking only a little more. The sun sank fast and dipped down below the surface of the ocean in no time at all, leaving them in darkness. Only the glittering stars and the soft sound of ocean foam lingered. After a few minutes watching the sky fade from pale blue to dark navy Komaeda shifted, getting to his feet and trying in vain to dust the sand off his clothes.   
“I should probably get headed to bed. if It gets too dark I might get lost and spend all night walking in circles.!” He smiled as he waved at Hajime. Hajime waved back, pulled back to reality by Komaeda’s voice.   
“Has that happened to you before.?” Hajime asked, a little worried at the strangely specific example. Komaeda only chuckled in reply  
“I had fun today! See you tomorrow,” Komaeda waved as he walked off, smile never leaving his face.   
“You too.!” Hajime’s reply was weak, and he sighed as he watched Komaeda walk off. His frizzy white hair and tattered jacket pulled faintly by the wind as he disappeared into the darkness, along with him went the day’s sense of security. Hajime’s gaze turned out to sea. It slowly licked away at whatever heat the sun left behind, replacing it with a cold salty breeze. Was anyone looking for them? They still hadn’t found any way off the island.  
His thoughts wandered back to his family, friends. No good. He just felt like crying again. Why were they even here?   
He sat on the beach awhile longer. Long enough to find himself shivering, a cold foam swelling up around his toes. He wiped at his eyes and finally moved. His muscles where stiff from night air and cramped position. He wiped at his eyes and nose as he began the short walk back to his cabin.   
The warmth of his room felt unreasonably foreign when he walked inside. He just stopped himself from throwing himself into bed and coating it in sand. He instead, with mechanical movements undressed, found something marginally more comfortable to wear to bed. He did not know what time it was when he crawled into bed. He didn’t care. He drifted into an dreamless sleep, and only woke when the morning announcement rang.


	3. Eye Ice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Komaeda sneaks into Hajime's room and get's a black eye. Hajime tries to figure out why hes acting weirder than usual.

When morning came Hajime found he felt a little better. He dressed and made his way across the small courtyard to the restaurant. there found a few others, though no Komaeda. He spoke briefly with them and found, through a bit of bickering, that the general consensus was that this really was just a class trip, and as they ate breakfast with the tropical sun painting the room, the uneasy atmosphere finally lifted a little.   
By the time breakfast was over the morning light and casual conversation had managed to sooth at least some of his nerves, and stepping out onto the stone outside he decided again to look for Koameda. Admittedly it felt a little childish, depending so entirely on one person, but he had promised to meet him last night. Besides, he’d have a chance to hang out with the others later wouldn’t he?   
Again he started down to the beach, there was a sense of calmness to it. Watching the small group by the ocean splash in the glittering waves… it was ok. Even without a way off they might be ok. It felt like he’d finally managed to swallow the feeling of unease for good. They’d be let off when that rabbit said, for now all they could do was try to enjoy themselves.   
Then an announcement rang out. A sickeningly cheerful voice that carried the weight of an air raid siren. Jabberwock park. It was hard to piece together what happened after that. Or even what that was, but it was enough to make Hajime regurgitate the unease, bringing it back with an acidic bite.

That was the nature of this place; every time Hajime began to feel better, things went downhill. Once again he found himself in his cabin. For a moment there was such a bitter overwhelming sense of despair, a feeling strong enough that it completely numbed him. Inevitably someone would die. More accurately someone would be killed… how could he trust anyone anymore, knowing he might be the sacrifice made for their freedom? How could he even trust himself? Everyone knows what they say about desperate times after all.

After some time he managed to collect himself a little, laying quietly on his bed in the dim room. When had the sun set.? He let out a soft exhale. The people here where reasonable, even if someone did try something it would take awhile. There had to be another way off the island, or someone would come looking for them. they had families and friends and people who cared. Certainly- a clatter at the window made Hajime jump. He scrambled to his feet. Was somebody seriously stupid enough to try something already?? Without thinking Hajime lunged at the window just as the curtain bulged, and attempted to force the assailant back through the window. The suddenness of his movement gave him the advantage and he heard them cry out as the opposition gave. He reached out for the window, and moved to slam it shut, regardless of if they remained in the windowsill or not. A second before the thing was shut he froze. He knew that tone. Pushing aide the curtain he found Komaeda clinging to sill, having just barely avoided falling into the pool below.   
“Komaeda?!” he asked incredulously, quickly pushing the window back open to help him up  
“Howdy” Komaeda replied with a weakly, something of a smile visable although his cheek and left eye were already reddening from the impact of Hajime’s palm. “You said we’d meet up today, but I guess stuff happened so I figured I’d make sure you were ok”  
“Right..” Hajime reached out to help Komaeda up, grabbing him by his arms and pulling him the rest of the way into the room. This worked for the most part, although Komaeda stumbled a little as he pulled his foot through and fell against Hajime. He clung Hajime’s shoulder as he steadied himself, pressed just a little too close and taking just a little too long to pull away. Was he always so warm..?   
“Sorry.!” Komeada chuckled as he pulled back, still as carefree as ever. Hajime didn’t understand him at all, but something about his smile, his slowly bruising face… He glanced away, unable to meet those green eyes.  
“I thought you were coming to kill me” even with such airtight reasoning Hajime couldn’t rid himself the twinge of guilt that came with the earlier assault. “...why did you choose the window anyway?”  
“The door was locked” Komaeda replied, as if his logic made any sense. Somehow despite the miserable situation Hajime laughed. Maybe it was the absurdity of it all. It took him a moment to speak again  
“Were you just going to just walk in here?” in response to Hajime’s words Komaeda put his hands up, as if to plead innocence.   
“Whoa, don’t say it like that.! You make it sound like I’m up to something.!’ so that was his plan... Not that Hajime could really bring himself to be upset with Komaeda. Maybe there was someone he could trust after all. It was comforting, even if it was illogical.   
“Fine.. let’s go get you some Ice to put on your eye. There’s probably some in the restaurant” With that Hajime turned towards the door. He crossed the wooden floor in a few steps, or would have. Komaeda’s hand had caught his wrist, stopping him abruptly. Hajime’s expression gave away his confusion before he managed to figure out how to verbalize it. For just a second something in Komaeda’s gaze was off, an intensity Hajime couldn’t place, and then it was gone. His wrist freed as Komaeda quickly pulled away.  
“Sorry! You looked so serious I wasn’t sure I could keep up.!” A familiar chuckle, and then he was left staring at the red squares on the back of that green jacket. What had just… Komaeda glanced back at Hajime expectantly, causing him to jolt forward with a quick step.   
“Right…” the reply was distracted, still torn between getting ice and processing the exchange. The chill of the night air brought him back to reality. Things looked so different in the dark. quiet, empty. All that was left was the two of them and the everpresent noise of the ocean. Stars dotted a midnight blue sky, refected in the pool outside of the restaurant. Breaking the silence felt criminal so he walked wordlessly with Komeada, never more than a foot apart. He wasn’t accustomed to the closeness, but it was comfortable.  
The light flicked on as they stepped into the empty lobby. Komaeda had stopped for just a second to look back at Hajime. He couldn’t quite think of anything to say and just offered an awkward smile in return. It was reciprocated for a second, before Komaeda started across the freshly lit room, leaving Hajime to try to catch up. The warm light of the restaurant only made the windows look darker. It almost felt like the world beyond them had disappeared completely. This might have, in some strange way, been a comfort if he could have rid himself of the feeling that something was off: Komeada seemed to have made a point to stay in front of him.   
Hajime hurried up the steps. It was probably nothing. He stopped just at the top of the stairway. Empty chairs and tables, even more black windows, Komaeda just ahead. The room was so large, clearly designed for a crowd, and yet it was occupied by just the two of them. For a moment he was distracted by how foreign it felt. they were here for Ice.   
“Ok... There’s probably some Ice in the kitchen.” He was really just talking to himself, trying to refocus. “I’ll go get it, you can wait here.” Without looking back at Komaeda he started towards the kitchen door. It was nice to have a simple task. He pushed the kitchen door open, finding himself in a small, well organized room. Metal countertops, kitchen utensils, oven, fridge. It was all so ordinary. Pulling open a cabinet door, he started by looking for something to put the ice in and eventually retrieved a small ziplock bag. For sandwiches probably. Bag in hand he walked back over to the fridge and crouched down to pull the freezer door open. He was part way through collecting the ice when he started to feel eyes. Whipping around he found that Komaeda had seated himself perfectly to watch him through the open door. Their eyes met, and realizing that he had Hajime’s attention Komaeda quickly sat up and gestured with his hands. He was making a heart.  
Hajime immediately tried to go back to the Ice. unfortunately even that couldn’t keep the heat from his cheeks. Seriously, what the hell was wrong with Komeada! He could never pin down what was going on in that guys head.  
Once the blush subsided he straightened up, pulling the door shut behind him as he exited the kitchen. Komaeda was still staring.   
“I have your Ice” Hajime held up the bag as he spoke, and quickened his step a touch. Komaeda clapped playfully, familiar smile again overtaking his expression.   
“Wow! Specialty treatment from doctor Hinata! I can’t believe you’d do this for scum like me!” the last clap ended as he clasped his hands together in a somewhat exaggerated motion. Reaching the table Hajime sat down facing Komaeda and carefully brought the Ice up to his slowly reddening eye. He tried his best to be gentle.   
“Well, I was sort of the one who caused this… you could have just waited in the cabin you know. I would have brought the ice to you”   
“That’s such an incredible thought! Alone in your cabin? I’m not sure I trust myself..!” Komaeda’s fingertips pressed into his jacket, fabric distorting as he hugged himself. Something about his words, or maybe the way his gaze fell away, lips pulled into a smile… Hajime’s face was dusted in red all over again.  
“What?? What are you-??” Without even realizing it he’d puled back a little, stammering as he tried to come up with some kind of response. The words proved unnecessary however, as Komaeda quickly laughed. He was joking? It’d seemed so serious...   
“Don’t worry.! There’s really no point to me doing anything in your room without you.” His response didn’t quite alleviate Hajime’s concern.   
“...So that’s why you went with me.?” He realized here that he’d pulled back and quickly leaned forward again, still attempting to help.   
“...Something like that” Komaeda replied, though it lacked that usual carefree attitude. Hajime wasn’t sure he liked it. Yes, komaeda was always weird, but this was different… weirder.  
The unusual intensity of Komaeda’s gaze when he caught Hajime’s wrist, the tightness of his grip… it was gentler this time. He’d placed his hand on the back of Hajime’s, holding the ice in place. as warm as ever.   
“You don’t really believe me huh?” Komeda broke the silence with a chuckle. Hajime was a bit taken aback at how easily he’d been read, but Komaeda wasn’t wrong.  
“Ah… yeah, you’re weirder than usual tonight. You know… If something’s up you can tell me.” Hajime had to offer. How could he not? Even if befreinding someone in this situation was suicide, Komeda had managed time and time again to make things bearable, it was only fair that he tried to do the same.   
“Well, It’s kind of silly… but I thought you might die” Komaeda was still smiling but it was devoid of that usual warmth.  
“Die?! Did you overhear someone or something??” Was he really such an easy target? His mind was immediately fillled with worst case scenarios, but it at least explained Komaeda’s behavior. He opened his mouth to keep talking but Komeda just shook his head.   
“Nothing like that… it’s more like… I tend to have pretty abysmal luck when it comes to friends. I’ve never been able to keep them for long... Pretty lame for someone called the ultimate lucky student huh?” The reply only managed to confuse Hajime further, but Komeada was staring at the floor with that familiar dejected look. Why’d he have to be so hard on himself all the time..? Hajime hated seeing it.   
“Well... I promise I won’t die ok?” He offered Komeda a smile as he spoke, hoping it might wipe that expression from his face. “Try not to worry so much”   
Komaeda looked back up at Hajime. For just a second his expression was twisted. Like he wanted to believe Hajime but… a smile suddenly pulled his lips. A feeling of clouds giving way to warm sunlight as he laughed.   
“That was totally what you were expecting wasn’t it? You looked so serious I just had to play along!”  
“Huh..?” it was the only reply Hajime could manage. Another joke..? “What do you mean??”  
“You just looked like you wanted to help me so badly I figured I’d let you.” Every word was so casual. Komeda shrugged with another chuckle, right back to the usual amount of weird. Just like earlier...  
“Right…” Hajime sighed, eyeing Komeada suspiciously “so… does your eye feel any better? Are you ready to go back?”   
“If I say no will you let me go back to your room with you?~”   
“No!” Hajime finally pulled his back, pushing the back of ice into Komeada’s hand. “Go to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow” He said as he got up.   
“Goodnight Hajime~” Komeada called after Hajime, a playful lit to his voice. Hajime didn’t respond.  
He knew he shouldn’t be mad at Komeada but he couldn’t help it. Why’d he have to make things so confusing? The whole exchange had managed to leave Hajime completely unsure how to feel. Walking across the restaurant he tried to Organize the exchanges in his mind. Everything indicated that Komaeda was joking. That was just how he was. Still, he kept going back to Komaeda’s hand on his wrist. The strange look on his face. There had to have been at least some truth to his words right..? It might be self indulgent to believe that Komeda was genuinely worried but it was also the only explanation that made sense.   
Stepping out into the cold night air again he exhaled. The star speckled sky, soft sound of waves. He lingered there for a moment, in the courtyard by the pool. Enjoying the peace even if it wouldn’t last. Whatever was going on with Komada he wanted to know. Regardless of how confusing it got and even if all he found out was that Komeada really was lying. Stay alive and find out what was going on inside Komaeda’s head. That was all he had to do right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter took a lot longer to write than the others but I think it's my favorite! time to disappear into another ADHD induced procrastination session. I will probably return one day. sorry for posting so inconsistently.


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